Strange and Beautiful
by MaddyLovesL
Summary: Neji-kun... looks even more beautiful when he's bleeding. Doesn't he... Shi-ka-ma-ru ?" As a shinobi, you have to grow up too quickly, Shikamaru Nara. ShikaNeji. Shikamaru x Neji.
1. Chapter 1

Strange And Beautiful - Aqualung.

Shikamaru Nara gazed out of the window dreamily, watching as the clouds made their simple, yet mesmerizing patterns across the sky. It was so peaceful outside.. So quiet.

"Shikamaru Nara! Pay attention in class please!" Iruka snapped irritably. It wasn't that SHikamaru was stupid, quite the opposite, but the young genius never showed any respect towards him. That was unacceptable.

In response the Nara yawned. Iruka's eyebrow twitched but he chose to ignore the boy.

A knock on the door. Shikamaru turned his lazy gaze towards the door.

"Enter." Iruka called.

The door handle turned.

The door swung open.

In walked a boy.

Shikamaru held his breath, afraid to breathe to loudly, as though doing that would shatter the image before him.

The boy was pale. So pale. His eyes were so large. So big, the lashes curled upwards, framing a big pair of blue, but mercury tinted eyes. They had no pupils. They were like the clouds drifting by the window.

The boy's mouth opened. His voice was deep.. and yet.. It sounded vulnerable... And... musical maybe.

"Please, Iruka-sensei, my teacher requires one of your scrolls, the one that has the hand seals listed on it."

"Ah, of course Neji-san, I'll get it right away."

'Wow, even Iruka says 'san' after his name, maybe he's important.'

Shikamaru who had been all the while gazing at the mysterious stranger, blinked when the boy turned his gaze towards him. It was so cold. So calculating. Almost scary. Neji didn't blink. Shikamaru stared evenly back. Was that a tint of lavender in those eyes? Or was he imagining it?

It felt like hours, but it could only have been about thirty seconds when Iruka came back holding a scroll.

Neji gave Shikamaru a look of disdain and turned on his heel to retrieve the scroll.

Shikamaru watched him as he stalked out, his henna coloured hair flowing like a fountain behind him.

Shikamaru didn't have to wait long before he saw the strange boy again.

There he was, sitting under an oak tree, talking to that Uchiha boy who was in his class. For some reason, Shikamaru felt a stab of jealousy as he watched them grinning at each other, obviously discussing something funny. As he watched the boy, Neji that is, he was slightly put out when Neji saw him staring and the smile was wiped off his angelic face. Neji outright glared at him.

'Why did he always look so angry?' was all Shikamaru could think before the Uchiha boy told him to go away... In slightly more graphic tones. Shikamaru blinked at him lazily before turning his back to the pair of them and walking away languidly. Although Shikamaru had been slightly hurt at this nasty show of coldness, he would not be put off that easily. He supposed he got that air of stuborness from his father.

*

Neji knew a lot. Neji was clever and he knew it. He took advantage of the fact. All he needed to do was watch. Watch and learn, his father had once said to him. Neji knew he was the most talented of the Hyuuga family, he would exceed Hiashi, and as for his cousins... They didn't even need exceeding. They were pathetic. At eleven years of age, Hyuuga Neji, had a lot going for him. He could see everybody's weaknesses, would take advantage of the fact, and in doing so he would exceed them, surpass them in every manner possible, he didn't care if he hurt them permanently in the process, they should be made to feel how he felt. When Neji said they, he meant his family of course. Those people. The people who had tortured both of his parents at individual times, always in front of Neji, right there for Neji to see. God it had hurt. And when he had tried to stop it, they had turned their threatening gazes on him, daring him to move. If he did, the pain his parents would feel, would be dramatically increased. God he hated them. Hated. Them.

Then there was that time... Neji had been a child, had not understood, but oh, could understand all too well what it meant now.

He could remember clearly waiting for his mother outside one of the many rooms in the Hyuuga compound, had peeked around the door to see what was keeping her, had frozen. Had gasped out loud. There as Hiashi, stroking his mother's hair. No, no, only his father did that, what the hell was his uncle doing? His mother looked around fear evident in her eyes.

"Neji!"

But Neji had run. Had run to his father, had not told him, had kept so quiet. No. He would pretend it had never happened. He began to distance himself from his mother, had become colder and colder towards her. Then she died. Neji didn't know how. Didn't want to know. His father was still there. That was good enough for him. He didn't need her.

And yet, it seemed it was impossible to get rid of her. Every day Neji grew to look more and more like her. Until one day, while Neji was looking in the mirror, he almost thought he saw his mother staring back at him. It didn't go unnoticed by his father, or his uncle. THe only difference between them, would be that, while Neji had long cocoa coloured hair, his mother's had always had this strange blue-ish tint. A bit like Hinata's, Neji often thought. But Hinata's was nowhere near as long, or as shiney as his mother's hair had been.

And then... And then Neji's father had been slaughtered. And suddenly... Neji was entirely alone. There was nobody there. Nobody to embrace Neji, nobody who would be there for him when he needed them, nobody would spare a thought for Neji anymore. Hizashi might, from time to time. But only because he disliked the fact that Neji had surpassed both his daughters now. Hizashi felt like a laughing stock. First he couldn't produce a male heir, and then both his daughters turned out to be weaker than a branch member, and while Hinata and Hanabi had both been taught all the secret techniques, Neji had learnt them by observing, and the boy was still better at them than both Hanabi and Hinata put together. Pathetic.

*

Water. Shikamaru rubbed his eyes blearily. He had been dozing quite peacefully under a tree, and listened contentedly as the sound of a stream tinkled by him. He frowned. How troublesome. Drip. There it was again. A hissing noise. More water. What the?

Shikamaru stood, alert, and cautiously made his way through the woods, pausing every now and then only to find the noise becoming more and more distinct. He jumped whenever he heard a rustling noise, whenever he stood on a twig, or a particularly loud bird called through the trees. Feeble sun beams shone through the branches. A rainbow.

There must be a lot of water being forced upwards somewhere. Shikamaru bent down, crawling on his hands and knees. His mouth fell open.

It was that Neji boy.

Under a fountain of water, in a rocky crag.

His hands were repelling the water.

His body twisted and turned as he struggled to touch and repel most of the water.

It looked like some sort of ethereal dance.

Neji's hair flew in arcs, getting weighed down by water but then shaking it off in arcs, creating small tiny rainbows.

Whenever the water touched his pale fingertips it immediately got sent shooting up into the air, like a bullet out of a gun.

Fascinating.

His feet seemed to be just touching the water, sometimes it looked like he was floating in the air, other times he looked like a ballerina, his tip toes just skimming the water.

Shikamaru's skin tone darkened considerably as he realized that Neji.

Wasn't wearing anything.

Shikamaru could feel the blood rushing to his head.

'Oh my god.'

As though in a bad dream, Neji slowly spun around on the water's surface, attempting to catch an arc of water. He stopped mid-spin. He stared. His eyes widened a fraction.

"You." he spat out. His face had taken on a dusky shade of pink, though whether from anger, or embarrassment, Shikamaru couldn't tell.

"Go!" Neji warned.

Shikamaru could only stumble backwards in fear and clumsily run away from the beautiful boy's clearing.

Shikamaru chest fluttered as he remembered how beautiful the boy had been, he had not been wearing that mean, cold expression, but one of contentment, of bliss even. And he, Shikamaru had stupidly ruined it. He cursed.

*

'Stupid boy, why's he always there?!' Neji inwardly fumed. He felt completely and utterly humiliated.

'What a pervert!'

"Neji, are you alright?"

Neji snapped out of his reverie at the sound of his uncle's voice.

"I'm just fine." He said stiffly. Truth be told, Neji would rather he never had to spend longer than necessary with his uncle.

You see, it was eerie. It was hard. It was difficult. Sad. Spooky. Melancholic. For Neji, to see the spitting image of his father, to see someone so like him, from his long slightly dry hair, to those eyes. Those eyes were different. They were so white.. So blindingly white. Pearly. Neji remembered still how they shone, shone with pride, with joy. Hiashi's eyes... exactly the same colour yet.. cold, frozen, they didn't shine, didn't glow.

They remained... inanimate.

*

Strange. Hiashi mused. Strange how, in only two weeks from now (*), Neji, would be taking the Chuunin exams. Of course, Hiashi knew he would do well. He had watched him from the windows, had watched Neji train until the poor boy collapsed. Had smiled secretly with pride. He had watched Neji going over notes, learning hand signs off by heart, scribbling on bits of paper, and in his relaxed, quiet moments, he had even caught Neji reading Peter Pan. Oh, how ironic. Peter Pan. The orphaned boy. The boy who hadn't wanted to grow up, who had never ever grown up, and had remained child-like, flying through the skies, no family bonds or traditions to chain him to the ground, or clip his wings. He, Hiashi, could understand the appeal it held for Neji.

*

It really was, just Shikamaru's luck to get stuck with Barbie-girl. Her voice was slightly irritating and she really was... Troublesome. Chouji didn't bother with her, choosing to chew on potato chips instead, crunching his way steadily through packet after packet.

Squeal.

"Sasuke-kun!" Shikamaru groaned.

Ino launched herself at the Uchiha, tucking his head carefully under her arm, so as to ensure there was no escape whatsoever.

"Ino."

Please, no.

But sure enough, up came... What's her face... Sakami? Sakui? No.. Sakura. That was it. Her pink hair bouncing along behind her, pale green eyes glaring daggers at Ino.

Ino giggled happily. She squeezed Sasuke tighter under her arm.

"Hello there Sa-Ku-Ra" Ino said in a sing-song voice.

"Get off of Sasuke-kun, you stupid blond!"

"Why should I forehead girl?!" Ino trilled back.

"Pig face Ino!"

What had he done, to deserve this?

As if to mock him further, from the corner of his eye he saw Neji.

Neji stared, his face heating up. Since that time a few years back, the two hadn't spoken.

Neji gazed at the petty scene before him.

He gave Shikamaru a withering look, before stalking away in the opposite direction.

_AN: Yes, there was a biiiigg time skip. Thing is I had noooooooo clue what to fill two years with n__n The title come from the song by Aqualung. SUggest you listen to it. It's a reaallyyy pretty song =) But most people don't agree T_T_


	2. Chapter 2

How pitiful. All the girls always fought over that Uchiha. How pathetic. Neji could remember vaguely, when he had been good friends with Sasuke. Then, Sasuke's family were killed. And they drifted.. Just drifted apart, further and further away. He doubted very much if Sasuke even knew his name now. Probably not. He remembered hearing that Sasuke had fallen into some sort of daze, had had hallucinations.

'Enough.' he told himself. Neji was not the sort to reminisce about the past. That, was what old people did.

"N-Neji-kun."

'God, would the girl ever grow a spine?'

"What do you want?"

Hinata, nearly turned to flee, but stood her ground.

"I... I-I was wondering.. M-maybe, if you'd like t-to train with me?"

"Although, training with me, might improve your standards, it will do nothing for mine, it'd be like playing tug of war with a baby. How about training with your younger sister. I've heard she's exceeded you."

Hinata could feel her eyes prickle. Why, oh why was he so cold?

"I... I suppose t-that you're right."

"Of course I am." Neji replied in a cutting tone.

This time Hinata really did turn to flee.

Neji sighed. He felt bad for lashing out at her, but... He couldn't help resenting her, resenting the fact that her father had sent hiss father, his beloved father to his death, resented his father for grooming his mother. Resented her.

He knew it was childish.

Knew it.

But he couldn't help it. Not really.

*

"My dream, is to become a great female ninja! Just like the legendary Tsunade-sama!" Neji scoffed inwardly.

'Another dorky feminist.'

"My dream is to become a great, strong ninja, even without genjutsus and all that!"

This time Neji really did scoff.

"What?" Lee inquired, a hurt look on his face.

"Well... just because you got through with only taijutsu, it doesn't make you special. It's only unheard of, not some brand new super technique. You're just lucky."

Lee opened his mouth to reply but was soon silenced by Gai.

"What's you dream then, Neji?"

Neji paused.

"I don't have a dream. What's the point in having a dream, if it just gets crushed?"

*

Hyuuga Neji vs. Hyuuga Hinata.

Neji was almost tempted to laugh. This was just hilariously ironic. Out of all the names stored on that data base, Hinata's name just had to come up. He felt light-headed. This was just too funny.

He could see Hinata trembling and quaking in obvious fear and distress. Pitiful. The Main Family heiress, trembling and sobbing in miserable fear at the prospect of a dual with a mere. worthless branch member.

Let her sweat.

Hilarious.

Neji turned his steely gazed on her. Her trembling doubled visibly. Her eyes flickered downwards to the left, the upwards to the left. He could read her like a picture book. Every movement told a story.

"By casting your eyes downwards to the left¸ you are remembering painful experiences." His voice cut the tension like a knife. "You are remembering all your failures, all the criticism your father gave you, all the times your younger sister beat you. Then by immediately turning your eyes upwards in the opposite direction, you are imagining the prospect of this match. You are imaging yourself losing. Imagining your father's disappointment, your name will be smeared in the dirt, your team mates will be let down. You, Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the Hyuuga Clan, daughter of the renowned Hyuuga Hiashi, are a loser."

Tears were streaming down her face. Neji felt a stab of pain, but smothered it quickly.

"Don't listen to him, Hinata!!!"

Neji turned his calculating gaze to a loud, blond onlooker.

'How annoying.' As his gaze returned to Hinata he caught sight of _that_ boy staring openly at the pair of them, a look of curiosity and puzzlement caught comically on his face.

Their eyes locked breifly, Neji's moonlike eyes turned upwards, deep, chocolaty brown eyes gazed down.

Neji turned.

The moment died.

Cough. "Let the match... Begin!"

Neji was fast, agile, quick. His arms moved between her feeble attempts at catching his joints, hitting the best areas, along the arms, stops the chakra flow to her fingertips, which will disable her use of the divine palm technique. She won't have any chakra to use.

One point.

Swerve.

Duck.

Second and Third point.

Spin.

Twist.

Vaguely, Neji could remember training under a fountain. He remembered seeing that boy. Watching. Watching him. Like some sort of predator, waiting to get him. It had unnerved him. Seeing another boy watching him.

Fourth, Fith, and Sixth point. Two more. Neji was on a roll.

Jump.

Twist again.

Arch.

Duck.

Seventh Point. Hinata's arms were trembling, her blows becoming weaker and weaker.

Score.

Eighth Point.

She was a gonner. He lifted her sleeves up, showing the world ugly, red burn-like marks. All of which stopped the flow of her chakra.

"Give up. If you go on. I will not take responsibility for what happens. Remember, in this match we are allowed to fight to the death. You will die if you carry on."

"Come ON, Hinata!!! Don't listen to him!!! He's just trying to bring you down!!!"

Hinata's eyelids flickered. Her mouth opened. Shut. She turned back to Neji.

"N-Neji-nii-san. I think.. I think while you're always trying to bring me down, to hurt me, I think that... You're hurting more than anyone. Please.. Maybe... We could-"

Neji saw red. Hurt?! She didn't know what the hell she was talking about!

As Neji sped up flying towards her, her face morphed into a twisted version of the Main family members, his Grandparents. 'Kill them.' His cousins. 'Make them shut up.' His Uncle. 'I'll slaughter him, I'll avenge my father!'. Hinata's face returned. 'No!!' He willed himself to slow down, to stop the chakra flow to his finger tips, to stop.

Too late.

Hinata coughed. Neji felt blood hit his face. Expression left his face, leaving it void.

"Hinata!!!" That stupid blond kid. If that blond kid hadn't encouraged her to keep fighting this wouldn't have happened.

He could feel people pressing in on him, holding him steady, could feel nasty, clammy hands tugging and pulling at him, retaining a firm drip on his arms, his legs... His face. 'Don't touch me. Don't touch me. Don't touch me!!!'

Kurenai's stare. Gai's frown. Kakashi's shock at Neji's power. The examiner's unemotional face. The Hokage's slightly shocked, slightly impressed face. He hated them all.

"If you have time to stare at me, then as medical ninjas you're not doing your job properly."

That blond kid had jumped down... Mumbling something to Hinata... He turns.

"You! This is all your fault!!!"

Neji smirked smugly, as he watched Naruto dart towards him. He wouldn't hurt him, he knew. Lee would be there, rambling about something to do with honour. Sure enough Neji was correct.

Naruto turned. He glared.

He held out a fist covered in blood.

"I swear, that I, Uzumaki Naruto will defeat you, Hyuuga Neji!"

It was funny. Hilarious. Stupid. Rash. Foolish. For the second time that day. Neji wanted to laugh. But he didn't.

Because...

That boy was staring at him with a hardened expression. Staring. Those eyes. They were.. Unnerving. He knew. Neji was sure. So sure. Once again their eyes locked.

'What colour were those eyes? Were they just a very dark brown colour? Or maybe.. Black? Like a raven's feathers?' Neji wasn't sure. But all the same, those eyes... They were hypnotising.

The boy broke the strange bond.

He blinked.

He looked away, turning his back to Neji.

*

Hyuuga Neji... The way he could analyze human nature. It was... to put it bluntly scary. Shikamaru had always, from the moment he had first seen him walking in to his classroom, always imagined Neji.. Vulnerable. Emotionally, that is not physically. It wasn't, now that Shikamaru thought about it, was because he was vulnerable... More because he was hurting. Hurting for years probably. And lonely.

'When was the last time somebody hugged you, Hyuuga Neji? The last time somebody patted you on the back, told you a tale, ate a meal with you, went to a festival the fairs with you, gave you a kiss?'

AN: Mahahahahahaa! I looooove 2010 =) It better be better than 2009... That was a suckish year.. What actually happened to 2008 and 2009? =/


End file.
